


Retirement Brings Visitors

by DarkenedHeart



Series: Clucky [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: (i'm sorry), AU, Bucky is adorable..., Chaptered One-Shots, Clint is amazing...Really, Comfort, Cookies, Does anyone care?, Established Relationship, Friendship, Getting a Dog, Google Translated Russian Words, Grblflah!, Honestly?, Iron Man Bashing, It's NOT even done yet!!!, Laura died, Lots of Qu?est?ian? Marks???, Lucky Bucky, Lucky Clint, M/M, NO CIVIL WAR!!!, OOC?, One-Shots, Retirement?, Scarlet Vision?, Self Contained Chapters, So much Cute it might kill you., Storms, Team is Family (In a way), The baby was a GIRL, Tony Bashing, VERYFATHERLY!Clint, Varlet? Wision? Vision Witch?, Visitors, domestic?, fluff?, post Ultron, puppy, winterhawk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-17 13:17:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8145455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkenedHeart/pseuds/DarkenedHeart
Summary: After Ultron, but without any of that "Civil War" crap. (Of course you're allowed to like it. That's your right. Just as it's my right to loath it.)Clint joins Bucky in his retirement at the farmhouse. That doesn't mean members of the Avengers Team don't pop by for a visit now and then... (*It also doesn't mean that non-Avenger visitors don't stop by either.*)





	1. Steve Rogers (Captain America)

After almost dying in the fight to defeat Ultron, Clint decides to call it quits while the quitting's good. Bucky is pleased to have someone else to help wrangle the children. Everything is domestic bliss for two solid weeks....Then 'the visitors' start showing up.....(Unannounced)

 

Steve came first, riding in on his motorcycle in casual clothes and waving at Clint who was retiling the roof.

Bucky, who was playing catch with Cooper and Lila, turns to him and accidentally gets hit in the head with the ball.

"Sorry, Bucky!" Cooper calls out, running after the ball as it rolls away.

"It's fine," Bucky answers, turning away from his old friend to smile at the kids. "You guys play with yourselves for a while, okay?"

"M'kay!" Lila nods, waving her arms in the air at her brother, "I'm open! I'm open!"

Steve parks his ride in in the barn and strides over to the house that Clint is expertly climbing down from. As Bucky gets closer to the house as well, the archer grins and calls out, "Trust exercise!"

Clint leaps the rest of the way off the house and Bucky catches him without missing a beat, eyes only glancing over to the armful of man before returning to their guest.

"You know Steve," Clint pats his partner on the chest before rolling out of his arms. "You don't have to stare at him like he's going to attack us."

Bucky nods, but that's all the indication he gives that he's heard the archer.

"So..." Steve awkwardly puts his hands in his pockets as he finally stops near the other two men. "Trust exercises?"

"This is going to be a long day," Clint sighs, rubbing at his face. He points to Bucky, "You, stop acting like a soldier and shake the Captain's hand."

"That's not necessary-"

Clint turns the pointed finger to Steve, effectively interrupting the soldier, "You, take his hand and shake it like a man. I'm tired of you dancing around each other like you're going to break the other guy."

In one jerky movement, Bucky offers Steve his hand. The blonde takes it and they shake a few times before letting go.

"Progress," Clint nods at them, then turns his head towards the open front door. "I think little Nat is crying."

"I'll get her," Bucky offers but the archer puts up his hands.

"No! No-no, no excuses for you," Clint walks backwards to the open door. He motions between the soldiers. "You two...Hug? Talk? Chest bump? Whatever you need to do? Do it and move on in life. Got it?"

Bucky nods once and Steve curiously looks between the two as the archer takes off into the house at a slight jog.

 

They stand there in silence for a few moments while the two older Barton kids shout and laugh with each other.

Eventually, Steve gathers the courage to speak, "I don't mean to make things....difficult for you, Bucky," he starts, nervously rubbing at the back of his neck. "I just....wanted to make sure that you were okay. I mean, I trust Clint, he's a great soldier, I was just...." He shrugs. "I'm not really sure, actually."

Bucky turns a hard look to Steve, "I'm sorry I tried to kill you. Several times."

"You were being controlled by HYDRA," Steve tells him seriously. "I don't hold you accountable for anything they forced you to do. You had no idea and suffered at lot at their hands. AND," he lifts his voice when the other looks like he's about to counter his words. "You ended up saving my life during our last fight, so I think that should count for something. It counts for a lot to me at least."

His friend smirks humorously and looks over to the two children as the girl tackles the boy for the ball. His voice is soft when he says, "Clint isn't a soldier."

"What's that?" Steve frowns, having missed the words.

Bucky turns to stare at him with a much softer expression, "Clint isn't a solider. He's a father and the best man I've ever known."

"I'll try not to take that to heart," the captain jokes lightly. He clears his throat when the joke falls a little flat. "You two, ah, you're...happy? Together? Not that it's any of my business-"

"It's not any of your business-"

"Sorry, just my worry showing-"

"I thought you said you trusted Clint?"

"I do!"

"So it's me you don't trust?"

"I didn't say that."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I just meant," Steve sighs as the guarded look returns to his friends face. Dang it! He put that there. "I just wanted to hear it from you. That you were happy, I mean. It's obvious that things look great for you here, but....I can't help but worry about you Bucky. It's just the type of guy I am. I worry about everyone."

 

"It's true," Clint joins the conversation, happy baby girl in his arms as he walks down the stairs to them. "It used to get REALLY annoying during missions. I'd beg Fury to send me out solo just to shake off the 'mother hen' feeling I kept getting around Captain America."

"You weren't complaining when my 'mother hen' attitude saved your butt," Steve counters without any bite in his tone.

"Yeah, but how often did that happen?" the archer rolls his eyes.

"From what Natasha has told me, quite often."

Steve stares at his friend, surprised at the joke while Clint barks out a laugh, causing his daughter to giggle along with him.

Bucky smirks at his partner before turning back to the other super soldier, "Yes, Steve, I'm happy."

"Well," Cap smiles big and bright at him, relief flooding over his surprise in huge waves. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Fa-a-antastic!" Clint sings, walking between the two to get to his other kids. "Hey you two! Wanna play tackle football with two old war heroes?"

"Clint," Bucky groans as Cooper and Lila shout out their enthusiasm for the idea.

"Is that a good idea?" Steve adds his own worry to the mix. "I don't want to hurt them."

"Don't worry about what you'll do to them," the other super soldier shakes his head sadly. "Worry about what they will do to you."

Clint turns back to them and winks with a toothy grin. Steve swallows nervously.

 

\---


	2. Tony Stark (Iron Man)

Clint wakes up at 3am to bring Little Nat a bottle. When he returns to his bedroom, it is surprisingly vacant of super soldier.

'Not another nightmare I hope.' Clint cringes. Nightmares were something the two of them had in common. It wasn't the best similarity they shared. 'Better make his favorite: Hot milk and cookies.'

The archer quietly goes downstairs to make the 'guilty pleasure' for his partner and is surprised for the second time so early in the morning to find Tony Stark sitting on his kitchen floor. He looks around, 'How did he get passed Bucky?'

"You're security is terrible," Tony remarks, fiddling with some sort of device in his hands before pocketing it as he stands.

"Tony," Clint tilts his head at the man. "Did you follow the approach protocols I gave everyone when you all 'demanded' to know where I lived?"

"Of course," the billionaire shrugs his shoulders. He makes a strange face, "Mostly. Well, I started to, then I took a short cut."

"Anthony Edward Stark," the archer's voice goes to Dad-Mode automatically. "For such a genius, you're an absolute imbecile. I knew I couldn't trust you to do something as simple as follow an approach protocol but, since we're friends, I went against my better judgement and gave you a chance. And HOW do you repay me?"

Clint taps his finger against the kitchen counter as he glares at the cowering genius.

"Well?"

"I'm sorry," Tony instantly answers, shrinking in on himself a little more. "I'm sorry! Really, I-I'll make it up to you, I swear!"

"Hush," Clint hisses at him when his voice rises too loud. He holds up a hand and listens, but there's no sound from his kids so he turns a less harsh glare to the other man. "You're lucky, Tin Man. The kids are still asleep."

Tony nods his head several times as he uselessly moves around the kitchen before finally sitting at a counter stool.

 

"So," the archer starts pulling out the ingredients for the cookie as he addresses the pouting man in his house. "What did you do wrong with Pepper now?"

Tony snaps his head up with a surprised frown, "How did you know?"

"Eyes of a Hawk," the archer shrugs. "The last time you two had a fight, you moped around your lab for weeks. I'm assuming that it being blown up puts a damper on that idea."

"I have more than one lab."

"But you're still in my kitchen."

"Touché."

 

Clint puts in the dry ingredients and starts to mix, "Well?"

"I was stupid, again, it's like my trademark, or default," Tony pulls out his device, grimaces, and puts it away again. "She says we 'need space' which I know is the step before 'we need a break' then 'we need to break up' or 'we need to see other people' which will lead to 'I'm getting married to Happy."

"Happy and Pepper are dating?"

"I read an internet rumor about it."

"Not everything on the internet is true."

"I know," Tony smirks cockily. "I put a few of those lies on the world wide web myself."

"Listen," Clint sighs, mixing the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. "You and Peps have been through a lot. It is a little like your own style of dating to be in and out of fights. I'm sure everything will cool down and you'll be together before TayTay goes through an album of boyfriends."

"I feel like Cap," Tony stares at him. "What's a 'TayTay'?"

"My point is," the archer puts the wet mix into the dry. "Give her some space and time, like she asked, then show up on your knees with a bunch of flowers. Not strawberries like last time, that was really horrible."

"I was in the moment!" Tony claps a hand over his mouth when his volume gets another glare. He mumbles through it, "Sorry."

"Whatever you do," Clint continues, using an ice cream scooper to drop the cookie batter onto a pan. "Do NOT come up with another 'save the world' plan while you two are broken up. The last time you were all pouty and self-loathing, you created Ultron. And we know how THAT turned out."

"Rub it in while the wound's still bleeding why don't you," the billionaire grumbles, defensively crossing his arms over his chest.

 

Clint puts a pot of milk on the oven and turns on the heat. He turns to his guest, "I've got to check on something. Can you watch this and mix it if it starts to boil?"

"Aren't you worried about me burning down the house?" Tony's objection is only half-hearted as he gets up out of his chair and takes the pre-offered wooden spoon from his retired teammate.

The archer pats him, a little hard than he should, on the shoulder, "Don't burn down my house."

Tony nods as Clint walks out the back door.

 

Clint walks around the house and finds who he was looking for. Bucky is sitting on the lower section of the roof. Clint climbs up to join him.

"I'm proud of you," the archer smiles at his partner as he settles next to him. Bucky turns a blank look to him. Clint smiles, "Tony doesn't have a scratch on him. I'm surprised he wasn't half dead when I found him in the kitchen."

"I almost shot him when he reached the far gate. Then I nearly hit him with a wood beam when he reached the porch. There was an actual knife in my hand when he got into the house."

"But you didn't do any of those things," Clint nudges him, still smiling. "Which is absolutely amazing. Some times 'I' want to kill the man." He shrugs. "At least knock him out."

"He is a little self-centered."

"He's a lot self-centered."

"Why do you put up with him?"

Clint shrugs again, "Friends come in all kinds. I can't judge a man by his bad decisions. At heart, Tony thinks he's doing the right thing."

Bucky huffs out a laugh.

"Yeah," the archer chuckles. He motions his head to the house. "Wanna head in? I've got cookies and milk, heated not chilled."

"Sure," Bucky stands, making sure his partner got up without a problem as well. "How you wanna do this? Through the window?"

"If we're boring old men," Clint makes a face.

"Then-?"

"Race you!"

The archer lightly shoves the super soldier back as he runs for the edge. He jumps as he turns, offering the surprised man a salute before grabbing hold of the gutters and swinging onto the porch.

Bucky looks over the edge as Clint sticks his head out to stare up at him.

"Show off."

"I worked at a circus," his partner reminds him with a wink.

 

 

Tony is completely focused on his task when the two men reach the kitchen. The billionaire doesn't look away from the pot till Clint takes the spoon from his hand.

"Didn't burn the house down at all, Katniss," Tony quips, looking up and startling a little at seeing Bucky. "Did I wake him?"

"No," Bucky answers tersely, going to the batter bowl to scoop some out with his hand.

"No double dipping," Clint remarks, back to his partner as he turns the heat off. "Milk's done. Gonna get the cookies."

"Hot milk with cookies?" Tony asks as the archer takes the delicious smelling goods out of the oven. "And since when can you cook?"

"Since I became a dad," Clint shrugs, pocking at the cookies and smiling when they aren't 'easily deformed. "We better eat all of these if we don't want to wake the kids."

"I haven't eaten in three days," the billionaire states randomly as he tries to take one, Clint smacks at his hand. "What? I thought-"

"They have to cool for a few seconds, Tony," Clint frowns at him. "You can share the batter with Bucky while I get them off the pan."

Tony looks over to the super soldier holding the bowl like precious treasure and decides against asking for 'his share'.

Clint makes quick work of plating the hot cookies and places them on the counter as he gets the cups for the milk.

Bucky glares at Tony when he tries to reach for them too soon again and the billionaire pretends like that wasn't what he was doing at all.

 

"Okay," Clint puts a cup in front of each of them. "You can dig in now."

Tony waits for the super soldier's nods of approval before taking three at once and shoving them in his mouth. He chews once, twice, then his eyes roll to the back of his head as he groans, "These are good!"

"Thanks for telling me in a very disturbing way," Clint shakes his head with a smile as he takes two, one for each cheek.

Bucky takes one at a time, but he goes through them so fast, he might as well have taken the entire half of the plate in one go.

"You're life partner is a pig," Tony grumbles with his mouth full when there are only two cookies left.

"At least I have manners," Bucky remarks, eyeing the cookies.

"Oh, for," Clint picks up the cookies and hands one to each man. "Grow up, you two."

"Robocop first," Tony mumbles quietly, shoving the cookie in his mouth right afterwards.

 

\---


	3. Natasha Romonov (Black Widow)

Natasha comes bearing gifts around Halloween.

"Cooper can't wear a Black Widow costume," Clint tells his best friend as he looks over three sets of the same outfit in different sizes. "He's a boy."

"So?" the red-head shrugs, Lila in her arms. "Boys can be awesome girls too."

"Nat," Clint shakes his head, more amused than angry. "Admit it, you brought three sets hoping one of my kids would wear it."

"That's a ridiculous assumption."

"Only if it's wrong."

"I'll be Black Widow!" Lila offers her favorite auntie with a big smiles. "Can she wear a pink tutu too?"

"Of course she can, sweetheart," Clint answers for his best friend. "Even butt kicking assassins want to get their frill on from time to time."

Natasha glares at him over his daughter's shoulder and he chuckles. 

Cooper comes barreling down the stairs with a pile of papers, "I did it Aunt Nat! I finally finished it!"

"Finished what?" his father asks, curious. 

"My certifications for becoming a ninja," his son explains excitedly. "Aunt Nat said she'd teach me some moves if I could write up a fifty page essay on why that was a good idea."

Clint looks over to the red-head with an 'oh, really?' look.

"What?" Natasha shrugs, putting Lila down. "I haven't read it yet."

"You know Bucky wanted to be the one to train them," the archer reminds the assassin. "You're going to hut his feelings."

"He hurt my face first."

"That was way back."

"Clint, are you calling me old?"

"No, dear, you're as youthful as the day you came into this world."

"Are you and Auntie Nat fighting?" Lila asks, confused. "Because it sounds like you are, but you're not shouting."

"You can argue with people without raising your voice," Natasha smiles at the girl. "But, no, we're not fighting."

"Lila! Let's go warm up before Aunt Nat shows us some of her tricks!" Cooper excitedly pulls his younger sister from the room and they dash for the front yard.

 

"Great," Clint sighs. "I'm going to have to break them apart when they get into 'training sessions' with each other."

"It was bound to happen eventually," Natasha shrugs. "What has you so uptight all of a sudden? You never had a problem with me showing the kids some defensive moves before."

"Little Natasha hasn't been sleeping through the night for the passed..." he looks over to the calendar and groans. "Thirteen nights."

"Doesn't Bucky take care of her too?"

"Yeah, but I can't ask him to do it EVERY night," the archer sighs again. "It's gotta be the formula. It's making her gassy. Bucky's out getting the new one right now."

"How is he?" Natasha asks carefully, focusing on her best friend's face for more answers than what he's going to say.

"Really great," Clint smiles, remembering how he hadn't attacked Tony at all when the man randomly showed up. "He doesn't like going out in the summer time because people stare at him for wearing a coat and gloves at eighty degrees, but otherwise he finds us 'normals' manageable."

"Clint, you have never been normal."

He laughs, "True."

"You will never be normal," she adds.

He laughs again, "Correct!"

"And that's the best thing about you," Natasha finishes with a warm smile.

Clint turns an equally warm smile to her, "Thanks, Nat."

"Bucky's home!" Lila shouts, running into the house. "He's back! He's back! Do you think he remembered to get my pink milk, dad?"

"Only if they had the organic one," Clint remarks seriously. "No more food coloring, remember?"

"So you're one of THOSE parents," Natasha teases as she stands to greet the super soldier.

Bucky carries in a literal armload of groceries and nods to the assassin as he makes his way to the kitchen.

"Don't you want some help with that?" Clint offers. He gets a negative grunt as an answer. "Good, because I didn't want to."

"You are so lazy," Nat smacks him on the shoulder, effectively pushing him towards the kitchen to help. "Shouldn't you be saying things like 'many hands make light work'?"

"Ugh! No," Clint groans but walks towards the chore anyway. "I'm more of a 'if you can get someone else to do it, just make sure they do it right' sort of Dad."

"The little ones are going to become manipulative," Bucky remarks as he puts the new formula on the counter for his partner's inspection.

"Did it have the golden seal on it?" Clint asks, looking the can over. "There it is. Great, thanks Bucky."

The super soldier nods, mind focused on putting the rest of the groceries away. He tosses the empty bags to Lila who happily catches it and adds it to a collection.

 

"Didn't you get my pink milk, Bucky?" Lila asks with a worried frown as the bags get fewer and fewer.

The baby monitor goes off and the super soldier waits until after Clint has made a new bottle and run upstairs before pulling out a small container from his coat pocket. He hands it to the little girl with a finger to his lips. She takes it with a huge grin and an exaggerated wink. Then she quickly hugs him before running out of the house with her treasure.

"Clint's not going to be happy when he finds out your secretly 'poisoning' your kids," Natasha remarks, arms crossed as she watches the super soldier finish.

"He worries too much some times," Bucky answers, checking the video of the baby monitor and smiling slightly. "And they're not 'our' kids. They're his."

"Don't be too sure of that," Natasha tells him with a secret smile. "You'd be surprised."

He looks at her blankly, guardedly.

She smiles a little more obviously, "Family is more than blood."

 

"That would explain why you tried to kill me when you fist met me."

"You tried to kill me first."

"I was brainwashed at the time."

"You can't use that excuse for everything."

"But it works for that situation."

"That it does," Nat laughs as Clint rejoins them. She smiles at her best friend. "I might be getting old after all. I'm starting to feel sentimental."

\---


	4. Bruce Banner (The Hulk)

Clint stares up at the Hulk. 

They're in the outskirts of his property. Lila and Cooper are at school and Bucky is holding Little Natasha a few feet behind him. The couple had gone for a walk when they stumbled upon the giant.

"Jade Jaws," the archer looks up at the mutated man calmly. "You okay, big guy?"

"Hurt," Hulk answers, looking away from his fellow Avenger.

"Don't you heal crazy fast?" Clint asks, only slightly worried.

"Different kind of hurt," the giant answers, glancing over to the soldier staring at him with a protective arm, his metal arm, covering the child in his arms. "Inside hurt."

"Ah," the archer nods his head, knowing what he meant from things Natasha 'didn't tell him' from her visit. He smiles at Hulk. "You wanna change into something that can fit into my house? I've been told I make a mean cookie."

The Hulk frowns, rubbing an enormous hand over his face before nodding. "Step back."

Clint does as ordered, turning to the side but not completely putting his back to his friend as the 'monster' becomes a man once again.

 

Bruce shivers as he stands in only the tattered remains of his shorts. He hunches in on himself as he walks over to the archer. "You, uh....Have any tea to go with those cookies?"

"Some sampler pack I got for guests," Clint smiles, taking off his coat to offer to the other man. Bruce takes it with a grateful smile. Little Natasha giggles.

 

Back at the house, Clint finds replacement clothes for his friend and makes the promised treats while the man showers and dresses.

"Is he safe?" Bucky asks, glancing upwards so that his partner wouldn't be confused as to who he was referring to. He's still holding the baby protectively.

"Hulk hasn't been out of control for years," the archer tells the super soldier confidently. "Bruce has learned to control his rage to a Jedi degree over the years. I'm impressed with the guy on a daily basis. But, to answer your questions simply: Yes. We're safe."

Clint chuckles as he pours hot water over a tea bag, "We're actually the safest we could be with that jolly green guy hanging around to protect us. I swear, he could eat a tank!"

"Why would he want to do that?" 

"Sometimes, you have no imagination for the dramatic."

"I wasn't raised in a circus."

"Circus?" Bruce asks as he comes down the stairs. "You guys going to a circus?"

"Why go when you live in one?" Clint jokes, pushing the cup across the counter to the stool for the other man. "Feeling a little better? At least a little cleaner?"

"Cleaner," the scientist nods, taking the seat with a small smile. "Thanks for this, Clint."

"What are best buds, ex-Avengers for?" the archer shrugs, moving to pour two cups of coffee for himself and Bucky. "How long have you been in my neck of the woods?"

"Not sure," Bruce shrugs, staring at the liquid inside his cup instead of drinking it. "After Ultron....The Hulk and I just....Sort of left...."

"I noticed that," Clint remarks as he hands Bucky his mug. The soldier nods his thanks but puts the cup on the counter to keep both of his hands on the baby girl. The archer rolls his eyes at the action. "So, you just wandered around after crashing that plane? Or should I be searching for a crater nearby? In this kind of place, the locals are bound to assume its aliens. Maybe our own Superman or something."

"What is 'Superman'?" Bucky turns confused eyes to his partner.

"Comic universe lesson later," Clint waves off the question as he stares at his guest, awaiting an answer. "Well? Let's have it."

"I know there was a crash," Bruce answers, actually picking up his cup now. "But....that's it. I don't know how I got here. Maybe the Big Guy does."

 

"Well," the archer sighs as the other man takes a tentative sip of his drink. "if he's your main mode of transport, I can ask him when you leave. He likes me."

"He tolerates you."

"Tolerate and like are synonyms. Look it up, Doc."

"In what thesaurus?" Bruce's frown breaks into a small, genuine smile.

"The Hawkeye thesaurus to explaining life," Clint answers without missing a beat. "I'm still working out the kinks of the title and no one will publish me because it isn't done yet, but you can leaf through the rough draft."

"Don't," Bucky warns the other man. "It has crayon depictions of inappropriate things."

"Bucky!" Clint rolls his eyes dramatically. "I told you, you were looking at those illustrations incorrectly!"

"It seemed pretty obvious what you meant for them to me," the super soldier grimaces. "I can never look at a red scrawled line of a crayon the same again."

 

The timer 'dings' and Clint's head pops up. "Snack time!"

As the archer grabs the oven mitts to remove the steaming cookies, Bruce begins to laugh. It's light at first, mostly muffled behind his hand, but as Clint starts whistling and placing the cookies on a plate, the laugh gets a little deeper and much louder.

Bucky shakes his head fondly as his partner continues to go about his business while their guest loses it at their counter.

Clint rounds the counter with a plate of cookies and puts it in front of Bruce with a tissue for the man's face and a hand for the man's back.

"Laughter's the best medicine," the archer remarks, rubbing at the scientist's back a few times before pulling it away. "And sugar totally helps with everything. I don't care what anyone says. You give me a triple-decker fudge, chocolate cake? I'll get over a broken leg like 'that'!" he snaps his finger with the last word.

"You're leg would still be broken," Bucky points out in a monotone. Clint pointedly pops a cookie in his mouth.

 

Bruce decides to leave before the two smaller Bartons get back from school.

"Are you sure?" Clint asks again as he follows him back to where they found the giant. "Lila would love to write you an original song to hum for your travels and Cooper has been really into geography, I bet he could offer you a few suggestions of the best places to go."

"Thanks, but I'm good," Bruce assures him. He slings a backpack of food and spare clothes over his shoulder, a gift from the family. "You've done a lot for me, Clint. I really appreciate it."

"We're friends, Bruce," Clint smiles at him. "What are friends for other than to help each other out? Plus, you never judged me, not even a little bit, after the whole L-word thing."

Bucky's expression darkens at the 'L-word' and he looks away, rocking the sleepy baby in his arms. 

"Still," the scientist hesitates, body turned towards his exit but something is holding him back.

"You need a hug," Clint decides, pulling the man in for one without waiting for permission. "You can come back any time. The others do, why not you?"

"Take care," Bruce pats the archer on the back before pulling away. He looks over to the super soldier. "You'll watch out for him for me, right?"

Bucky nods curtly, "Always."

The scientist waves at the family as he walks off their property and disappears into the trees.

 

Clint turns a goofy smile to his partner.

"Give me the baby. You're hogging her."

\---


	5. Thor Odinson (Thor - Duh)

Ironically, Thor comes in during a storm.

 

"I should have known," Clint jokes as he looks at the drenched Asgardian who stands on his doorstep. "Couldn't you have shown up on a rainbow instead? You have a rainbow road back home, right? Use the power of the rainbow!"

"May I come in?" Thor asks, pushing a lock of hair plastered to his face out of the way. "I am in need of shelter."

"Will you let me hold the hammer?"

"Only the worthy can-"

"That was a joke, Thor," the archer interrupts him with a roll of his eyes as he takes a step back to let the man in. "Wipe your muddy boots."

Thor takes off the boots and places Mjolnir next to them just inside the door.

The sky lights up and thunder claps loudly throughout the house. Lila screams as the power goes out.

"Really, Thor?" Clint punches the man in the arm. "First, no rainbow. Now, no power?"

"I did not do that, Brother Hawk," Thor explains as the room is illuminated from lightning again and is followed with another loud clap of thunder. "Nor did I do that."

Lila screams again and Cooper comes into the living room slowly, hands in front of himself so he won't accidentally run into anything.

"Dad?" Cooper calls out a little scared. The room lights up yet again and the boy smiles at his father. Then the thunder booms and the boy risks injury to rush to his parent.

"Lila's scared," the younger Barton boy mumbles into his father's middle. "She, uh, needs you."

Clint looks to the Asgardian, "Can you stop the storm? Or, at least, calm it down?"

"I have no power over earth's weather at the moment," Thor answers with deep regret. "I can, however, gather our spirits with roaring songs that will rival the noise of nature!"

"Do they involve intense violence or blood?" the archer asks, taking his son's hand so that he can walk.

"Yes! Those are the loudest and best songs to fight against the wind's power!"

"Yeah, we don't sing about those things in this house," Clint shakes his head as his sharp eyes expertly move through the room, even in the dim light. "Bucky? Where are you?"

The room lights up to answer, and its noisy follower is right behind it. Cooper cringes, tightening his hold on his father's hand.

Lila doesn't scream that time.

"Bucky?" Clint worriedly calls out a little louder. "Where are you and the girls?"

Before the arrival of their guest, the archer was just starting to prepare dinner. Bucky was changing the baby's diaper and Lila was playing with her dolls in her room.

"We're fine!" Bucky calls back calmly. "We're in the safety castle!'

"You have a castle within your walls?" Thor asks, impressed. "How is such a feat done? Is it some trick of the Man of Iron?"

"Some things are bigger on the inside," Clint smirks at his inside joke as he slowly starts to take the stairs, son at his side and guest trailing behind. "But not in this case."

"Then what is the soldier referring to?"

"You're guess is as good as mine."

"Perhaps he has made one in secret for such an event! Perhaps he is a sorcerer!"

"I take it back. My guess is a hundred times better than yours."

 

Clint finds his partner and daughters huddled under a blanket on Lila's bed. Lila is holding onto Bucky's human arm like a life line, eyes squeezed closed so tight it looks like it hurts. Little Natasha looks up to her father curiously and offers him a giggle as a greeting.

"Good to know you take after your namesake," Clint muses, kissing the baby on the cheek before reaching over to his other daughter to stroke her cheek. "You okay, princess?"

"I don't li-like the th-thunder," Lila stutters, trying to burrow her head deeper into Bucky's arm. "Can you or Bu-Bucky make it-it stop?"

"If I could, I would," her father says honestly. "But I see you and Bucky are in a really nice safety castle, so I know you'll be fine."

"But," Thor shakes his head at the blanket covering his friend and his family, having kept out of it so as not to intrude. "It is just a blanket."

"A blanket can be a castle if it really wants to be," Clint counters the other man's words easily. "Right, Bucky?"

"Of course," Bucky nods, moving the blanket with the motion since he was the tallest point under it. "As long as you're with people who will take care of you, you will be safe."

"And there is no one who cares about you kids more than Bucky and I." Clint smiles at his daughter as she manages to open one eye. He puts an arm over Cooper. "Ohana and all that Disney stuff you love, right?"

"Mhm," Lila nods her head against Bucky's arm. 

When the thunder claps again, its a little less scary and no one bats an eyelash at it.

 

Thor eventually joins the family under the blanket, though he is only halfway under like Clint. The adults take turns telling stories, Clint playing 'child-proof monitor' while Thor supplies the plots and Bucky is appointed 'name giver'.

 

As soon as the lightning and thunder passes, Bucky hands the baby over to Clint and slides out from under the blanket to check the circuit breaker.

Five minutes after the super soldier leaves the room, the power comes back on. Everyone cheers. (Especially Thor.)

 

"You bring back the lights like a magician!" the Asgardian compliments the super soldier when he returns to the room. The blanket has been removed and the group is just starting to climb off the bed. "Clint, are you sure he is not a sorcerer after all? They are clever when disguising their true identity."

"Thor," Clint chuckles a little as he looks over to the man. "you've seen Tony bring back the power plenty of times. This sort of technology isn't new to you."

"But out in the middle of nowhere? Where there are no other people for miles? Tis a feat to be praised indeed!

"Well, of course Bucky is amazing," the archer laughs again, turning his focus to his partner. "I only hang my hat with the best."

Thor laughs heartily as he carries the two older Barton children down the stairs on his shoulders. 

Bucky waits at the door for his partner and whispers in his ear, "Is that what they're calling it these days?

Clint swallows a lump in his throat as his cheeks heat and he almost hurries down the stairs. Almost, he's still holding Little Natasha in his arms after all.

\---


	6. Pepper Potts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear...More Tony Bashing...The poor guy! (No regrets, though, sorry!)

Of course, not all of the Barton-Barnes visitors are Avengers... For one reason or another, the family seems to attract everyone to their door...

 

Clint is in his living room, braiding Lila's hair for school. Bucky is packing the lunches in the kitchen while Cooper watches for the bus and the baby sleeps upstairs.

Pepper Potts, their newest guest, is pacing in front of the archer while occasionally flailing her arms.

"And then -and you will NOT believe this Clint, really you won't- he says that he hopes 'Happy and I will be happy together'! I mean, where on EARTH does he get that sort of cr-nonsense?" the blonde business woman clears her throat as she nervously looks at the girl staring up at her. Clint smiles to let her know she's fine, so she continues her rant. "I have never, NE-VER, thought of Happy in that way. Why is he suddenly convinced we're going to run away together and have a baby that he will be responsible for killing?"

Pepper once again nervously looks to the little girl who's attention she's unintentionally holding. Clint sighs as he finishes the braid, patting his daughter on the shoulder for the rubber band to fasten on the bottom. He nudges her off his lap and she happily skips over to her brother at the window.

"Peps," Clint starts as he stands, letting out another sigh as he pushes against his legs to do so. "What do we know best about Tony?"

"He's an idiot."

"Correct," the archer nods. "And what do idiots do?"

"Say idiotic things."

"Naturally." Clint walks over to the woman to take her by the hands. "Now, before we go any further, let's take a breath."

The archer and business woman both take in a deep breath and then let it out slow, Bucky subconsciously doing so as well in the kitchen.

"I swear, Tony would have killed off the human race by now if it wasn't for people like you to keep him in check," Clint smiles as his guest's shoulders sag in relief. "He talks a big game, but that ego monster is just a kid inside. I think that's how the two of us can banter so easily, no maturity between the two of us."

Pepper laughs at that, shaking her head and making her perfect ponytail lightly swat at her face. 

"You are ten times the mature adult than Tony," the woman tells the archer. 

"Sure, I can be," Clint shrugs. He glances over to the two at the window. "But that came after Cooper's birth and only got stronger when Lila and Little Natasha came into my life as well."

"Are you telling me I won't see a mature Tony until he's a father?" Pepper grimaces. "I can't imagine him in that role. I'm serious. I just tried, but my brain stopped immediately and shut down."

It's Clint's turn to laugh that time. "Yeah, I suppose his first year would be rough. His baby-proofing ideas would be horrendous. Either too much or not enough, I think. He's probably just make a mini-suit to follow the baby around and wrap itself around him or her if they so much as looked like they were going to topple over or hurt themselves."

"He'd be taking the child out to fight crime before they were potty trained," the woman groans.

Bucky barks out a laugh, surprising the other adults and making them stare at him.

"Sorry," the super soldier ducks his head, suddenly focused on zippering the two lunch bags and putting them into their respective backpacks.

 

"We do what we have to for the ones we love," Clint says softly, still looking at the other man. Pepper looks over to the archer and smiles at the love in his eyes.

"I suppose," the business woman allows softly.

 

"But he's still an idiot."

"THE biggest idiot in the world."

"The smartest idiot in the world."

"The most brilliant, egotistical, kicked-puppy dog idiot in the world."

"Thatta girl! Getting creative. I like it."

\---


	7. Nick Fury

"Hold onto your butts."

Nick Fury pulls the swing holding Copper Barton back with both hands, holds it for a second, then lets go; eliciting a shout of slightly scared glee from the boy.

"Me next, Uncle Nicky!" Lila bounces in her seat impatiently. "Please! Please! Please!"

"Alright! Alright!" Fury chuckles, stepping over to the little girl's swing to do the same thing he had to her brother. When he lets go, Lila screams as she whooshes passed her brother.

"I'm flying like Thor!" she giggles, kicking her legs when she reaches the uppermost part of the forward swing.

"I'm falling like Iron Man!" Cooper jokes as he falls back in the opposite motion.

"I'll save you!" Lila shouts, swinging back as he swings forwards. "Oh no! I missed! Who will save the city!"

Both siblings shout out, "HAWKEYE!"

 

Fury keeps the Barton kids swinging high as their parents watch from the porch.

"Since when do they call Fury 'Uncle Nicky'?" Bucky asks with a frown.

"Since whenever he tricked them into doing it," Clint shrugs, holding a bottle in Little Nat's mouth as he rocks her in the rocking chair. "He can be really manipulative when he wants to be. Did I ever tell you about the time he ruined Coulson's sacred fanboy cards in order to get the Avengers to work together?"

"Fanboy?" Bucky repeats, looking over to his partner. "That agent is a fan of some boy?"

"No, he is the boy whenever he sees your old army buddy, Captain America," Clint grins, imagining how his old handler's reaction to meeting his idol must have gone. "Coulson didn't even let me touch his cards without wearing special gloves. I wonder how harshly he berated Fury when he found out they were ruined."

Bucky grunts in disapproval over the thought. "Memories are hard enough to hold on to. How is the agent these days?"

"Dealing with SHIELD garbage I refuse to learn about," the archer sighs, moving the baby to burp her on his shoulder. "Lots of drama in his life these days. But he does send the occasional post card."

"Those were from him?"

"I know! Why does he have to make smiley faces cryptic?"

 

At dinner, Fury pulls Clint off to the side to talk about something 'in private'. Of course, Bucky has the two older kids watch the baby so he can sneak into the closet that gave him the perfect spot to listen in on the conversation.

"You're country needs you, Agent Barton."

"It's just Mr. Barton now, sir, but I appreciate you not making any lazy, fat guy jokes about me."

"Think about your team. They need you to keep them together. Keep them focused."

"They can have me, as long as I stay here."

"Barton-"

"No, Fury," Clint's tone is deep and serious. It sends a shiver down Bucky's spine. "I did my rounds. I'm done. My family is my mission now. It's the best one I've ever been assigned to and I'm not backing out of it. Ever."

Nick sighs, "I thought as much...Can't blame a man for trying tho."

"Yes I can," the archer jokes, but there's a slight touch of seriousness to it. "But I won't. I know the world's falling apart, but the world is ALWAYS falling apart. I've decided to watch it do so at the home front instead of the battlefield."

"You're a good man, Barton." Bucky hears what must be Fury patting Clint on the shoulder. "It's a shame I have to lose you."

 

Fury leaves after hugging the kids goodnight. He walks into the darkness outside as if it were daylight.

"Probably has a quinjet waiting for him a few miles out," Clint muses with a shake of his head as he closes the door. "That man and his dramatics."

"Says the man from the circus," Bucky reminds the man with a smile. His head beats wildly in his chest when his partner laughs. He doesn't know what he would have done if Fury managed to convince the archer to leave. He might have been tempted to kill the one-eyed manipulator.

"Off to bed, kiddies!" Clint claps his hands, shooing the two giggling bodies up the stairs. "I want teeth brushed before I get up there or you're eating brussel sprouts for dinner tomorrow!"

"Ew!" Lila and Cooper mock-shout in fear as they try to push past the other to get upstairs first.

 

"Clint?"

"Yeah?"

"YOU hate Brussel sprouts."

"I know! Those things are horrible..."

 

The baby starts to fuss from her swing and Clint moves to get her. Bucky takes him by the wrist to stop him.

"Something wrong, babe?" the archer's smile drops at the hard look he sees on his partner's face. "What's wrong?"

Bucky wants to take a deep breath to settle his nerves but he barely has the strength to open his mouth so he decides to just 'go for it'.

"I love you."

Clint's eyes widen. Bucky thinks the kids are playing with the thermostat. It's suddenly much too hot in the house. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he was really a glorified nanny. Maybe everything he was thinking was going on between him and Clint was a figment of his imagination.

Bucky belatedly lets go of Clint's wrist so that he can rush upstairs and check on Lila and Cooper. He needs something, anything, else to do to distract himself from his blunder.

Clint counter grabs him before he can take a step.

"I love you too, Bucky." Clint smiles at him. Bucky really likes it when Clint smiles. It reminds him of sunshine and the days before the war. Before all the pain. When Clint smiles, it's like nothing bad can happen.

 

"Dad!" Lila interrupts the two men with a shout from upstairs. "We're done! You don't have to take so long!"

"If you say so!" Clint calls back, quickly leaning forwards to peck Bucky on the cheek before running up the stairs. "Bucky, can you get Little Nat?"

Bucky puts his hand to the spot as he nods, eyes following the other man. 

Little Natasha giggles.

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-Da! There you go, "Gamzee_Makaraoni"


	8. Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) & Vision (Just Vision)

Wanda shows up with Vision at the same time the school bus drops Lila and Cooper. Thankfully, neither the children or the driver see the two Avengers.

Clint heaves a sigh of relief, patting the baby in the carrier strapped to his front. The action earns two matching looks of confusion.

"As much as them seeing you would hike up my kids coolness points, you gotta make sure no one sees you while you're here," Clint explains with a smile. "What brings you to my neck of the woods anyway?"

"Vision got me a puppy!" Wanda announces happily, putting down the carpet bag in her hand to pull out a golden retriever pup. 

"A puppy!" Lila jumps up and down excitedly. "A real, really, real puppy!"

"Can we hold it, Wanda?" Cooper asks hopefully.

"Yes, please!" Lila joins in with clasped hands. "Please! We'll be gentle, I promise!"

"Guys," Clint chuckles at his friend's torn expression. "The puppy is barely old enough to be away from its mother. I think Wanda needs to keep an eye on him or her for now. And you both have homework."

"Maybe Miss Wanda will allow you to feed the animal after you finished with your take home studies," Vision suggests, looking to his female companion for her reaction.

"Yes," Wanda nods. "that would be fine. The puppy loves to eat."

"Hooray!" Lila jumps up and down a few more times before dashing for the house. "Come on Cooper!"

Cooper touches the dog on the head before racing after his sister.

 

"We are not getting a puppy," Clint tells his partner firmly. "I can barely keep up cleaning after you lot."

Bucky shrugs innocently.

"Dogs are man's best friend," Wanda tells the archer with a shrug as she looks over the farm. "Would it not help with security to have one here?"

"Miss Wanda does have a point," Vision readily agrees. "An animal sentry provides several advantages."

"Is that why you two came here?" Clint shakes his head as he leads them back to the house. "Did you come here to show off your pooch, or are you trying to drop him off in my lap?"

"Dragotsennyy podarok is not for you!" Wanda cuddles the pup closer to herself protectively. "I just wanted to show her off a little."

"Wait, you want run that name by me again?" the archer turns back to his friend.

"Perhaps it would be easier to say the meaning," Vision suggests.

"Precious Gift," Bucky supplies for his partner. "That's what 'dragotsennyy podarok' means."

Wanda blinks, surprised, at the super soldier, "Ty govorish' po-russki?"

"Malen'kiy," Bucky shrugs.

The two then burst into a wild, long stream of Russian, leaving Clint to stare at them amused.

 

"Shall I translate for you?" Vision asks, standing next to the archer.

"Nah," Clint shakes his head. "I'll get the short version from Bucky later." He looks the super-being over, noting the sweater vest. "Did you get new duds?"

"A gift from Wanda," Vision smiles down at his clothes as he touches the vest reverently. "She says it brings out my eyes."

"Ahuh," Clint chuckles, kissing his baby girl on the forehead to stop himself from laughing louder.

 

"Done!" Lila announces, bouncing out of the house and right up to the female Avenger. "Can we feed him now? Can we? Is he hungry? Do we have to get his food or did you bring it?"

"Woah there, lady question," Clint rubs his daughter's head fondly. "Why don't you breathe for a minute and let our guest actually answer one of your questions?"

"Sorry," the little girl blushes, ducking her head.

"I forgot to bring food," Wanda frowns. "I only brought his leash, his toy, his water bowl and a blanket."

"Only?" Clint repeats with a smile. "It's okay, I can make the pooch something. Then you can tell my kids it's real and whether it's a girl or boy."

"It's a girl," Lila states confidently, then bites her lip, "Right?"

"Right," Wanda nods to her.

 

Clint guides them all into the house where he puts the baby in the swing so he can cook up some pieces of meat for the pup. He makes sure to cut down enough so the animal doesn't choke. 

"No fair!" Cooper complains as he joins them. "Lila has less and not-as-hard homework!"

 

"You didn't miss anything," Clint tells his son, handing him the plate of cooked food. "Be nice and share feeding time with your sister."

Bucky fills the puppy's water bowl and gives it to Lila to put on the floor for the animal.

"It's a girl," Lila tells her bother. "And Wanda is gonna tell us her name now."

"She is dragotsennyy podarok," Wanda smiles as Clint rolls his eyes. "It means 'precious gift' in Russian. But I'm going to give her a nickname and call her Poda for short."

"Poda," Lila repeats as she strokes the puppy's back. "That's a lovely name!"

As the two older Barton kids fawn over the animal, Bucky looks over to his partner.

 

"No," Clint shakes his head as he prepares their daughter's bottle. "No puppy. I'm serious!"

"What if I brought over one that was already house broken?" Vision asks, arm across Wanda's shoulders as the woman watches the children pet her dog.

"I knew it! Nefarious planning, the bunch of you!" the archer points to each adult in turn. "When did you get together to do this to me? Why do I have to be the bad guy?"

"We don't have to get a dog, Dad," Cooper assures his father. "You're not a bad guy."

Clint groans, "Reverse psychology. From my own son. Not fair."

"You act surprisingly childlike when amongst your family," Vision remarks with a smirk. "Would a dog not help the children expound some of their energy so that you and your partner could have more time al-"

Wanda jabs her elbow into the super-being's sibs. He looks at her curiously.

"Okay! Fine," Clint groans again. He looks over to his partner, "But you and the kids are cleaning up after it."

Bucky smiles at him and the archer can't help but huff out a laugh.

 

Vision leaves and returns with an adult golden retriever.

"This is Poda's father," the super-being explains as he rubs at the dog's neck. "His name is Lucky."

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation Note:  
> dragotsennyy podarok - precious gift [Russian]  
> ty govorish' po-russki? - You speak Russian? [Russian]  
> malen'kiy - a little [Russian]


	9. Phillip "Phil" Coulson (SHIELD Agent Extraordinaire)

"Well I'll be a one time fling," Clint laughs as he pauses through his perusal of the mail.

"What is it?" Bucky asks, following Little Natasha as she crawls around the living room. The other two are outside playing with Lucky.

"Coulson is coming for a visit," the archer lifts the postcard for his partner to see. In the message spot, there are only random scribbles, as if a toddler had written there.

"I have no idea how you understand that," the super soldier shakes his head, returning his focus to the baby girl as she tries to make a break for a forgotten crayon. He quickly grabs it up and tosses it to the kitchen where it lands in the fruit bowl.

 

There's a knock on the door and Clint rolls his eyes. "Spy movie geek."

Agent Coulson, suit perfect and shades on, stands on the other side of the door.

"Agent Barton," Phil nods to the archer. He turns his head to Bucky. "Sergeant Barnes."

"Really Coulson?" Clint puts his hands on his hips. "You come blowing in here like Nanny McPhee and give me Agent Mode?"

"I thought this would be more familiar for you."

"You're an idiot," Clint grabs the agent's arm and pulls him in for a tight, back-slapping, hug. "Gosh, I missed you though."

The archer pulls back to point an accusing finger to the man, "You've been avoiding me."

"It's not avoidance," Phil counters, removing his sunglasses to put them in his chest pocket. "You've been busy saving the world, then retiring. Nice home."

"You could have come for a visit sooner and you know it," the archer's keen eyes look the man over. "Is it because of Daisy?"

"I'd like to table those kinds of talks for now," the agent minutely shakes his head, telling his former underling all he needs to know. 'I don't want to talk about it.'

"Hey, I heard about your arm," Clint instantly changes subjects. He walks over to Bucky who's picking up their daughter to pat him on the back. "You two have two things in common now."

"Two?" Bucky raises an eyebrow.

"Yea, you've both got artificial arms and a love for Captain America."

"I don't love Steve," Bucky immediately states with a hard look. 

Phil awkwardly clears his throat and looks the room over. "Is that a new couch?"

 

Coulson brings a metal trunk of 'special toys' for Clint. 

"Just some stuff the team's been working one," Phil shrugs as the archer looks over the contents. "Just because you're retired, doesn't mean you can't test things out."

"How many of these trick arrows have explosives?" Clint asks as he closes the trunk slowly. 

"Only about half, but they only activate when fired."

"Coulson, how many times do I have to tell you NOT to bring things that go boom in my house?"

"I thought you were making a joke."

"I don't joke about accidentally blowing my house up!"

"But you joke about everything else," Bucky points out in the agent's defense.

"See?" Phil gestures to the man.

"Way to support your partner, partner," the archer glares at the super soldier. Bucky shrugs, pulling Little Nat away when she tries to eat his hair.

"I can cut that for you," Coulson motions to the man's head. "You're hair, I mean. Unless you like it long, which is...fine. I just thought you might not want...so much of it."

"Gosh, you're just like Cap with him," Clint sighs, getting to his feet to try and lift the trunk. He stops after only getting it up an inch. "No, not lifting it on my own. Super babe can do it." He makes a 'gimme' motion with his hands to Bucky. "Hand over the baby and earn your keep."

Bucky hands the baby girl over, then steps to the trunk and picks it up easily. He goes to the door before turning back to the archer, "To the barn?"

"In the underground spot, please," Clint nods. His partner goes out the door to do just that.

The archer leans slightly towards the agent to fake whisper, "I love it when he does that."

"Listen to what you say?" Phil guesses, amused.

"No-Well yes, but," Clint grins wider. "Also when he show off his muscles. I swear, I could let him give me a piggy back ride all day. But the kids would get jealous."

"You are not a normal man, Clint," Coulson shakes his head.

"Thanks. You're kinda special too."

 

Coulson does end up cutting Bucky's hair, much to the admiration of the older Barton children.

"Wow Bucky!" Lila looks up at the soldier's 'new do' with awe. "You're so handsome!"

"Really cool haircut, Bucky," Cooper agrees with a nod of his head. "I didn't know Agent Coulson could cut hair."

"Coulson can do a lot of surprising things," Clint chuckles from his spot between his two kids. "One time, I saw him use a kitten to beat up a bad guy."

"Really?" the Barton kids ask in unison.

"That event held certain parameters," Phil dissuades any thoughts of grandeur. "And I the guy got away in the end. I caught him later, though, so no worries."

"He was hiding out in his mom's basement," Clint adds with a grin. "His mommy had to kiss his boo boos."

The word 'mommy' has Bucky worriedly looking his family over. It had only been a few months since Laura's passing. But the Barton kids seem to find it easy to laugh along with their father over thoughts of 'big, mean and terrible' villains cowering in the shadows after being beaten by a kitty cat. He smiles along with them as the worry eases.

 

"So Vision brought you a dog?" Coulson asks after being introduced to the animal properly. "I thought you hated animals."

"I do not!" Clint protests. "I just didn't want one, that's all. And anacondas do NOT count as 'pets'! I don't care what other people think."

"Does he know any tricks?"

"We taught Lucky how to play catch," Lila tells the agent proudly.

"And he's really good at sniffing us out when we played hide-and-seek," Cooper adds.

"What about calling 9-1-1, CPR and bomb detection?" the agent asks.

"Coulson," the archer tosses a spare green bean at the man's head, hitting him perfectly in the eye. "Stop talking stupid. Dogs learn shake and speak, not nurse and hero."

"It's never too late to learn," Phil shrugs with a slight pout. He eats the green bean.

"Ew!" Lila pretends to be grossed out but end up giggling.

Clint shakes his head, "And they say I have weird eating habits."

\---


	10. Commander Maria Hill

"No, it's 'over-under-under-over'. Not the other way around."

"I can't do it. It's too hard."

"Stop it," Maria hits Clint in the arm. "It's just hair!"

Maria was visiting in order to give Clint lessons on how to style Lila's hair. So far, the archer can still only do a basic ponytail and braid.

"Why does styling a girl's hair have to be more difficult than calculating wind speed?" Clint complains, dropping his daughter's hair that was a mangled mess. "Are you okay still, sweetheart?"

"Yup!" Lila assures him with a pop of the lip. She's busy playing games on the female agent's phone. "Don't give up, Daddy! You're awesome! You can do anything!"

"Except a simple French braid." Maria mumbles.

"You had her hair pulled back so tight her eyes were getting squinty!" Clint points out with a touch of anger. "At least she still looks like my daughter when I finish brushing her hair!"

"You are going to be a mess to work with once Lila's old enough to put on makeup," Maria teases with a smile.

"What?" Clint laughs. "When she's eighty, I'll be happily chasing Bucky in the nursing home. I won't have to worry about that."

"How do you intend to get around at the ripe old age of one hundred and twenty?"

"Rocket booster enhanced wheelchairs."

"Who's gonna make THAT?"

"Tony. He already promised."

 

"Is it safe to enter?"

Both adults turn to glare at Bucky standing just outside the doorway. Little Natasha is sitting at his feet, her head tilted in consideration at her older sister's hair. She decides she likes it as she reaches for her and giggles.

"Cooper wants to show Lila a new trick he showed Lucky," Bucky explains as he enters the room.

"See ya later, Dad!" Lila hops off the chair, puts down the phone and runs from the room; messy hair getting impossibly worse as she does so.

"You could have at least waited until I got Clint to bush her tangles out," Maria sighs after the little girl is long gone. She smiles at the baby in the soldier's arms. "May I?"

Bucky nods, handing the baby over on his way to his partner. "Learn anything new?"

"That we'll either be hiring someone or flying one of our lady friends in when Lila starts going to parties," Clint grumbles as he starts packing the hair supplies. "Hit a fly thirty five yards away? No problem. Diffuse a bomb blindfolded? Where's the challenge in that? Get your daughter's hair to look like a fairy princess?" He shoves the hairbrush into the drawer forcefully. "Dang mission impossible."

"Lila will learn to do her hair by herself by the time she reaches the age that she'll care," Bucky assures him. He sends a cold glare to Maria, "Isn't that right, Agent Hill?"

Maria takes a step away from the men, holding the baby to her face as she nods, "Sure, yeah, girls are amazing like that."

"Don't threaten the guests," Clint sighs tiredly, but he's smiling as he pats his partner on the shoulder. "I need coffee. You guys want anything?"

"There's already a pot made," Bucky interjects before the female agent can put in a request. "It's plain black, but there are those terrible 'additions' in the fridge for the agent."

"Will the Winter Soldier please stop giving Maria the cold shoulder?" Clint jokes, smiling at the agent. "He'll warm up to you. It helps if you make me look good. He likes that."

"I don't appreciate your tone, Clint," Bucky warns him. 

"I don't appreciate having my hair-brushing skills dragged over the coals," the archer counters as he starts down the stairs. "You know she's already scared of you. I'm just using that to stop any future teasing."

"You are willingly partnering yourself with him?" Maria whispers to the super soldier after Clint had fully made it down the stairs.

Bucky shrugs, "He's cute."

Maria's cheeks heat up as the stoic soldier follows after the archer.

 

Several minutes later, Clint loudly asks, "Dang it, Bucky! Did you break her? Maria?!"

"Coming!" Maria snaps out of her shock. She looks at the baby in her arms. 

She could have sworn the child rolled her eyes at her.

\---

**Author's Note:**

> I am legally inclined to state I own nothing.


End file.
